12/06/17 Update

RADCLIFFE AC’s Fiona Lynch showed she was on top form when she was first woman in the tough Bolton Hill Marathon.

Leading all the way in the Saturday event she came home in a time of 3hrs 58mins on a course which had 3,700 feet of climbing, taking in Winter Hill. It was billed as one of the toughest in the UK She said “It was a great race with brilliant marshalling. It was very wet on the trails and was like running in streams for miles.”

Sineads Hayes clocked 5hrs 31mins. The two women are training for a 110k event next month. Luigi Salzano was disappointed with his run in 4hrs 40mins. All three did the event two years ago when Fiona was fourth and ran 4hrs 01min.

Neal Emmerson also showed his form on Sunday when he took second place in the popular Race The Train event. He covered the 11 miles in 1hr 14mins 31secs, 15 seconds faster than last year when he was in sixth place. In the event from Bury Station to Rawtenstall runners, under their own steam, covered trails and paths mostly alongside the railway track and aimed to get to Rawtenstall before the steam engine Family and friends watched from the train and runners made the return journey to Bury on the train. Emmerson, along with Kris Lee (V40) who ran 1hr 34mins 08, both beat the train. Katie Percival had to settle for just missing out with 1hr 36mins 43secs as well as Scott Baxter who ran 1hr 38mins 33secs. Katie Holden (V40) clocked 1hr 43mins 50secs and Karen Doherty (V40) 2hrs 10mins 15secs.

Mauro Rotondi (V45) travelled to the Lakes to take on the Salomon 25k Trail Race, part of the Keswick Mountain Festival. He clocked 2hrs 40mins 56secs on what he described as a great course on ruggeds terrain through Borrowdale and Watendlath Valleys.

Fiona and Mauro were among 15 who took part in the Knowl Hill Fell Race on Sunday, the day after their big events. Covering six miles and a tough 1,300 feet of climbing onto the moors above Norden in Rochdale the event was part of the Run The Moors Grand Prix the club take part in and also a club championship race.
Dave McGrath was first home from the club in 20th place in 51mins 44secs with James Hall clocking 54mins 48secs and John Wrigley 57mins 46secs.

Sarah Turner clocked 47mins 59secs when she ran the Tatton Park 10k at weekend and was well pleased to be third in her age group and 102nd out of 507.

In the Wainstones Trail Half Marathon in the heart of the moors in Hambleton, North Yorkshire Sarah Oxley clocked 3hrs 25mins 34secs on a scenic but tough course with some rocky downhill stretches.
Louise Bowden was third woman when she ran the Edgworth Reservoir Challenge 10k on Sunday in 51mins 01sec. On a scenic course which took in two reservoirs in the area Sarah Rushton clocked 1hr 06mins 34secs and Natalie Hitchen 1hr 18mins 31secs.

Seven ran the earlier midweek Two Lads Fell Race at Horwich with Neal Emmerson coming 13th out of 162 runners in 36mins 52secs. Dave McGrath was next in for Radcliffe in 20th place in 38mins 59secs and James Hall was 49th in 41mins 54secs. Mike Kontowtt was ninth vet-50 in 44mins 41secs: Kris Lee (V40) ran 46mins 54secs: Mauro Rotondi 48mins 10secs: Lisa Carter was third vet-45 in 54mins 14secs and 13th woman. The men’s team were seventh out of 21. The event is a club championship race.